Action Comics #977: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Superman needs a breather

The death of the New 52 Superman. The discovery of another Clark Kent. The near loss of his son Jon at the hands of Mister Mxyzptlk. Kal-El has had little time for reflection. But his latest adventure with Mxyzptlk has shaken him to the core–and left him wondering about his true past. Is someone manipulating him and the entire DC universe?

Action Comics #977 (variant cover)

Superman Reborn Aftermath Part One Begins

Action Comics #977 expertly alternates between the past and present, Superman relives the final hours of his home planet, Krypton. For the first time, he sees his parents struggle as they say goodbye to their infant son. They are comforted only by the fact that Earth’s yellow sun will give him power and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Writer Dan Jurgens even manages to slip in a political reference, with superdad Jor-El. He’s complaining that his planet’s leaders would rather embrace money than trying to save their people from the coming catastrophic natural disaster.

Supes also witnesses his arrival on Earth and his rescue and adoption by the Kents. At the same time, a mysterious villain is assembling a rogues gallery of super adversaries including Metallo and Blanque.

Artist Ian Churchill is given the plum assignment of depicting the futuristic Krypton (complete with baby Kal-El’s superbinky). In addition, he has the task of bringing to life the seemingly endless cornfields of Kansas that the Kents call home. His more modern depiction of the assembly of villains is seemingly taken straight from the Matrix, which adds to the intrigue. But it’s his multiple splash-page depictions of Superman himself that make the reader want to come back for more.

And with a story and art like this, keeping readers hooked on this Action Comics series isn’t going to be a problem.

Tom Smithyman is a newspaperman turned marketing executive. A comic book enthusiast since the 70s, he tries to keep up with these alternate realities while juggling a professional career, family, community theater roles and passion for travel. Connect with him @tsmithyman and linkedin.com/in/tomsmithyman/